• What: UFC 325
• Who: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes in the main event
• When: Saturday, Jan. 31 at 9 p.m. ET
• Where: Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia
• How to watch: PPV event
Just last weekend, UFC fans were treated to a special showdown between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett. That one went the distance, with JG pulling off the win. Now this weekend, everyone can’t wait to see a pair of featherweights go to war. In this piece, we have our best UFC 325 bets: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes picks. Who will come out on top?
This of course will not be the first time that these two standout fighters are putting the gloves on, as the two previously went toe-to-toe at UFC 314 in April of 2025. In that matchup, Volkanovski was able to win via a decision – yes, things went the full five rounds. This time around, Lopes has revenge on his mind, but that’s obviously something that Volkanovski is working to avoid.
| UFC 325 odds |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volkanovski to win | -154 | -154 | -154 |
| Lopes to win | +120 | +120 | +120 |
| Over 3.5 rounds | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 3.5 rounds | -110 | -110 | -110 |
“When I fought Volk in April, I had a little bit of ego,” Lopes said in a recent interview. “I thought I didn’t need to fix anything in my training, I thought everything was good, But after the fight, I saw many things weren’t good in my training camp. After this fight, I fixed many things. I got a private gym for only me and my team to (avoid) distractions. No people coming to the gym asking for many things, for photos, for videos.”
According to the best online betting sites, Volkanovski currently holds -154 UFC Vegas betting odds to come out with a win. Per the top UFC betting sites, Lopes is checking in with his +120 odds. Something tells us this one could go the distance once again and it will be interesting to see if that turns out to be the case or not. Regardless of that, we’re going with Volkanovski as our pick.
In terms of how long this one might last, we think that the over for rounds should hit at the UFC 325 main event. The last time these two studs put the gloves on, it indeed went the full five rounds. A show was put on by both and it truly was a shame that the winner was decided by the judges. People are still talking about the decision, but the two are going to want to try to end this one on Saturday with a TKO.
“Whatever comes my way, I’ll be happy,” Volkanovski said at the UFC 325 media day. “But Movsar, Lerone (Murphy), incredible records, or even Arman if he was to come down. Yeah, that’s a challenge. So, that’ll be definitely something. I feel like my takedown defense is pretty solid, so that’ll definitely be a fun one.”
Have an interest in potentially getting in on the betting action too? Now is the time for us to remind you that the Las Vegas online casinos that we work with, including BetOnline, Bovada and others, have some great year-round specials for you to take a look at. With UFC 325 right around the corner on Saturday night too, it’d be wise to see which ones you’d be able to take advantage of.
As for the action back inside of the octagon, the over/under for this fight has been set at 3.5 rounds, with -110 betting odds for both. With the way things went down in the first fight, we’re not going to be shocked to see things go down a similar way this weekend. Yup, while we think Volkanovski will win, we also think that it’s going to go at least four rounds. We’re going with the over.
While a ton of focus is on that fight, keep in mind that there are other big-time showdowns on the way. With that said, Benoit Saint-Denis is a heavy favorite in the co-main event on Saturday night. He’s going up against Dan Hooker and he’s going to want to do everything that he can to not only post a big win, but also do so in pretty convincing fashion.
Hooker has a ton of experience, as he holds a 24-13 record throughout his UFC career. As for Saint-Denis, he’s an impressive 16-3-0 during his career and he wants to make sure he’s able to bring home win No. 17. Hooker of course is looking to reach an impressive milestone in capturing his 25th career win. So, how will things go down here?
Per the oddsmakers, Saint-Denis holds -340 odds to have his hand raised by the ref this weekend. Hooker is the big underdog, with Vegas giving him +250 odds. While we think Hooker is going to be tough to bring down and show a ton of heart, we also think Saint-Denis should have no issues posting a win. We’re predicting him to win in the third round via a TKO.
